Ken Matsumune/Fanon Canon
| affiliation = (formerly) | team = | partner = Wakasa Mizushima (mentor) | clan = Matsumune Clan | family = Seinosuke (father), Himeko Uzumaki (mother), Iori† (older brother), Nakago (older half-brother), Ito (younger sister) Seigen† (grandfather) | rank = | registration = None | occupation = Mercenary swordsman | nature type = | jutsu = ... | tools = Nijū no Ten'untō (paired and ) | other = master }} Ken Matsumune (マツムネケン, Matsumune Ken) is a from the Land of Iron who lived during the . At the age of fourteen he committed a grave offense against his clan and was ordered to cut off his sword hand as punishment before being banished from the Land of Iron. Ken sought refuge in his mother’s , where he briefly came into possession of the and was accidentally transported nearly 300 years into the future. While searching for a way to return to the past, Ken eventually arrived in , where he proved to be an incredibly skilled swordsman. He became an and was instructed by Wakasa Mizushima in the use of jutsu. Later, he was entrusted with , making him one of the current . He also carries the Nijū no Ten'untō (二重の天運刀, "dual will of heaven’s blade"), a and that he inherited from his grandfather, Seigen, a legendary master of the sword. Background Early Life Ken was born approximately 200 years before the end of the . His father, Seinosuke, was the head of one of the three most powerful clans in the Land of Iron while his mother, Himeko, was a member of the who had married into the samurai for political reasons. Originally, Ken’s birth name was "Tomoyasu," and he was the third son of the Matsumune clan. His oldest brother, Iori, was heir to the clan but held to a pacifistic ideology that put him at odds with their father. Nevertheless, Iori was Seinosuke’s favorite. In contrast, Ken’s other brother, Nakago, was the black sheep of the family despite being a prodigy of the sword on account of his illegitimacy. Ken also had a younger sister Ito, who was born two years after him. Both Iori and Nakago were signficantly older than Ken and were thus involved in the clan’s political struggles throughout Ken’s early childhood. When Ken was still young, Iori died in battle alongside Nakago, who carried his brother’s body back to their homeland. Nakago blamed himself for Iori's death, and the tragedy drove the wedge between him and his father even deeper. Seinosuke turned his attention to Ken as a result. He projected the hopes he had formerly held for Iori onto Ken, who could never live up to his father’s expectations. When Ken was eight years old, he was sent to live with his grandfather Seigen in order to learn the sword style of the Matsumune. Seigen lived as a hermit deep within the mountains, and only interacted with the Utari tribes who populated the Land of Iron’s most isolated forest regions. Seigen’s training, compounded by the harsh environment, was incredibly difficult for the young Ken, and he struggled to survive in the wilderness until he was helped by Aiyse, an Utari girl his same age who took sympathy on him. Over the years she taught him the traditions of her tribe, such as tracking, hunting, and hand to hand combat. Ken gradually developed a childhood crush on her, and while he was unaware of it at the time, the attraction would one day become mutual. But unbeknownst to Ken, war had come to the Matsumune during the five years he had spent training. As such, even though Ken had yet to learn the final technique of his sword style, Seigen was forced to comply with the demands of the clan's head and sent him back to the Matsumune. Before he left, Seigen gave Ken his full adult name Seidōken (正道剣, lit. "righteous sword") and entrusted him with the Nijū no Ten'untō (二重の天運刀, "dual will of heaven’s blade"). It would be the last time Ken saw his grandfather, who disappeared in a snowstorm that winter and was rumored to have ascended to the . Battle at Kamayamadji Pass For centuries, the Matsumune clan had been rivals of the Fujiwa clan. The conflict that Ken returned had broken out when a group of civilian rebels had attempted a coup by assassinating the Testushōgun. The assassination sparked war between the Matsumune and the Fujiwa as each clan vied for control of the capital, where they hoped to instate a new Tetsushōgun and secure power over the other samurai clans. In a preemptive maneuver, Seinosuke ordered Ken and Nakago to lead the Matsumune forces from the south in order to hold off the Fujiwa at Kamayamadji Pass (上山地の山峡, lit. "Upper Mountain Pass"). In reality, however, Seinosuke had summoned Ken to fight alongside his brother because he no longer trusted Nakago, fearing that his son was plotting to overthrow him. While Ken disagreed with his father's principles, he had no choice to obey his command. On the way to Kamayamadji, Nakago and Ken encountered the remnants of the rebel army who had assassinated the Tetsushōgun. Nakago wanted to put them all to death on the spot, but Ken, sharing in his late brother Iori's pacifistic ideals, convinced Nakago to spare them. Knowing that Ken had been tasked by their father to spy on him, Nakago seized his hesitation as an opportunity to better his position in the Matsumune household. The brothers divided their forces between the Matsumune, lead by Nakago, and the rebels, lead by Ken, in order to trap the Fujiwa in a pincer maneuver at the pass. However, Nakago had secretly allied himself with the Fujiwa, who were able to completely destroy the Matsumune force thanks to his warning. Nakago and the Fujiwa then ambushed Ken and the rebels. The result was a complete massacre. During the battle, Ken fought against Nakago and proved to be the better swordsman. However, just as he began to gain the upper hand in their duel, Nakago drew upon a mysterious power. He told Ken that he had been possessed by Rōma, the demonic spirit of an ancient samurai closely associated with who would drive his hosts into complete self-abandon in the heat of battle. In fact, it was during one of these fits of madness that he had accidentally killed their brother Iori years ago. After overcoming his initial shock, Ken pleaded for his brother to resist caving in to the bloodlust, but to no avail. Overpowered, Ken was disarmed and forced to flee the battlefield to warn their father of Nakago’s treachery. Unable to return along the main road because of the Fujiwa army, Ken was forced to take a much more dangerous route over the mountain range. The wounds he had suffered in combat impeded his progress even further, and the soldiers Nakago had sent after him caught up to him. Using the skills he had learned from the Utari, he was able to mislead them and escape, only to be caught by a blizzard. After struggling through the night, he collapsed from the cold. He was found by his grandfather Seigen, who emerged from the storm and carried him to the house of Aiyse’s family. But when Ken regained consciousness, his grandfather was nowhere to be found. Aiyse’s father told him that his grandfather had died a few months earlier, and Ken realized that it had been the last vestige of Seigen’s spirit that had protected him from the storm. Ken was forced to stay with Aiyse’s family until he had stabilized from his injuries. Aiyse warned him that Nakago might try to kill him before he could inform their father of what had happened. Ken promised he would be careful. Then, fearing he would be unable to see Aiyse until the war with the Fujiwa was over, he proposed to her. The Utari marriage betrothal consisted of eating half a bowl of rice, then giving the bowl to Aiyse, who finished eating the other half. After this, they exchanged small gifts: Ken gave Aiyse an embroidered from his mother which would release a "fire spirit" to protect the summoner, and Aiyse gave Ken a dagger with a carved antler hilt. After this, he set off to return to the Matsumune. Nakago's Betrayal Ken reached the Matsumune estate a few days later. He thought that news of Nakago's betrayal would have reached their father by then, but to his shock he discovered that Nakago had feigned loyalty to the Matsumune and had already told a different account of the events that had occurred at Kamayamadji Pass. According to Nakago, Ken had been the one who had betrayed the Matsumune by allying himself with the rebels who had assassinated the Testushōgun, having used them to ambush and slay the Matsumune’s forces. While suspicious of Nakago's claims, Seinosuke believed him because of the proof he offered him: the Nijū no Ten'untō swords that Ken had lost in his fight against Nakago, as well as a "captured" Fujiwa soldier who served as an eye-witness to the massacre carried out by Ken. Furthermore, it was well-known that Ken had disagreed with his father’s methods, ascribing to his brother Iori’s and his grandfather Seigen’s neutrality, which provided a motive for his alleged insurrection. However, the most serious offense that Ken had committed was to attack a member of his own family, thereby breaking one of the greatest taboos of the samurai, who greatly valued fidelity. As punishment for attacking his older brother with the force to kill, Ken was commanded to cut off his own sword hand. Seinosuke then renounced him as his son, declaring Nakago to be his heir, and Ken was permanently exiled from the Matsumune. But Nakago made several attempts to kill him even after his banishment, fearing that he would return to reclaim his rightful place as heir to the clan. Knowing that his life was forfeit, Ken fled to seek refuge with the Utari. Shortly after this, the alliance between Nakago and the Fujiwa collapsed and the Matsumune were placed under siege. Ken's mother Himeko managed to escape the siege-line. She brought him the Nijū no Ten'untō and asked Ken to go to the Land of Whirlpools to request aid against the Fujiwa from her clan—the . Realizing that enlisting the help of the was the only way to save both the Matsumune and the fate of the samurai, Ken agreed to seek for their help. He rode one of the Utari's wolves until he reached the border of the Land of Iron, barely escaping from a cavalry unit who mistook him for a revolutionary. At last he crossed the and reached the lands of the shinobi. Meeting the Uzumaki Personality Appearance Equipment Abilities Ken is, above all, a man of the sword. Unlike the modern warriors from the Land of Iron, Ken is from the Golden Age of the samurai and as such he is significantly more powerful as a combatant than those who, for example, fought against prior to the . His skills as a swordsman are unparalleled even when compared to (generally considered to be the “last great samurai”). In attack his onslaughts are unrelenting, as he possesses incredible durability and stamina, yet he demonstrates stolid patience in defense. Ken’s particular style of swordsmanship emphasizes smooth, fluid movements with marked flashes of blinding speed and strength. His style lends itself easily to being blended with the use of jutsu. When coupled with his impressive speed and mobility on the battlefield, he becomes a force of nature itself. His fortitude was demonstrated when he fought against the , besting most of them despite being outnumbered six to one. In addition to such physical feats, Ken is also a brilliant military strategist, utilizing his experiential intelligence and keen observation to remain several steps ahead of his adversaries. Chakra and Physical Prowess From the beginning, samurai concentrated on developing chakra for use in swordsmanship as opposed to ninjutsu. Thus, as a samurai Ken typically utilizes his chakra in a way that is completely different from that of a shinobi. If the chakra pathways of shinobi are described as an influence, then by analogy the chakra pathways of samurai flow in effluence. This means that, instead of drawing in and “kneading” chakra within the internal pathway system, samurai utilize their chakra to either resonate with and imbue their sword with energy or to quickly expel energy to attack, which bears forceful, physical repercussions. Through constant meditation, Ken’s chakra control has become incredibly refined, allowing him to fine-tune the amount of chakra that he actively releases at any one time. This not only enables him to conceal his presence, but also to execute highly advanced kenjutsu techniques that demand the upmost precision. Ken is also capable of feats normally assumed to be reserved for shinobi, such as the technique. While his chakra reserves are actually somewhat limited compared to a shinobi of his equivalent rank, this poses no considerable weakness since he compensates with expert efficiency, using the least amount of force necessary in order to achieve the greatest effect. Years spent training to become a singular, unified entity with his sword allowed him to develop the ability to detect the presence of another person. While the range of his perception seems to be limited compared to that of trained , he is highly aware of the chakra signatures in his immediate vicinity and is able to instinctively sense nearby threats. His perceptive abilities allow him to accurately predict incoming danger by registering the “killing intent” behind an opponent’s attack to a degree that resembles foresight. In addition to his notable control of chakra, Ken’s possesses an impressive level of physical strength and stamina. As a samurai, his physical training has always been coupled with meditation, and as such is it probable that his physical capabilities have been directly enhanced by his spiritual practices. Whatever the means might have been, Ken has attained a peak level of conditioning that vastly supersedes that of a typical samurai. This aspect is not immediately evident, however, as Ken tempers his formidable strength with economy. Similar to the way he uses chakra, he only utilizes the least amount of force necessary to overcome a certain obstacle or inflict the most severe damage with minimal effort. For example, a strike using the pommel of his tachi might not seem to be a serious endeavor compared to fully drawing his sword, but when Ken concentrates power behind the strike it has enough force to punch holes through allegedly impenetrable barriers. As a naturally fast combatant, Ken can move so quickly at times that, even without using the technique, he appears to teleport across the battlefield. This is accomplished by concentrating and releasing chakra in his feet and legs in order to allow for short, incredibly rapid bursts of speed, such as what is used in . Furthermore, his endurance is such that he can run for days without stopping to rest and is able to cover nearly twice the ground while travelling that a shinobi could in the same amount of time. Ken can also fall from and leap to considerable heights, cut through thick tree trunks with minimal effort, climb to incredibly high altitudes, withstand freezing temperatures, etc. His durability was partly a result of the Matsumune’s philosophy towards fighting, which taught him to resist the “killing blow” of any opponent and minimize the damage of their attacks until he could strike at the perfect, fatal moment. As such, he is highly resilient as a combatant, and can continue fighting effectively even after sustaining injuries that would kill a lesser samurai. Kenjutsu In recent history, the samurai have lost many of the fine arts of the blade as they began to rely on techniques such as chakra-repelling armor and the technique as opposed to traditional kenjutsu. Individual clan styles saw a sharp decline in the century preceding Mifune as samurai eventually sought an easily accessible standard in lieu of actual devotion to years of intense, individualized training. This is partly due to the rise in military prestige following the Great Reconstruction, which led to the sense that uniformity (or conformity) was something to be desired among the samurai. Ken, however, predates this era and as such his approach to swordsmanship is completely different than the current norm. As a Matsumune, Ken considers his sword to be his companion or “mistress,” and has lived since the age of twelve without allowing his swords to leave his side. For centuries his clan practiced kenjutsu with the belief that the true, singular purpose of a sword is to kill, and as such their style is minimalistic, firmly grounded in basic forms, and intensely brutal. The Matsumune became known for their ability to endure anything in order to cut down an opponent, regardless of whether or not they actually survived. However, unlike the rest of his clan with its emphasis on unrelenting aggression and complete self-abandonment in battle, Ken’s method of fighting is much more reserved. During his childhood he was heavily influenced by his grandfather, who taught him the art of patience, elegance, and stillness in the face of death. Thus, while Ken still demonstrates fighting tendencies that are characteristically "Matsumune," such as his strong, concentrated attacks and incredibly powerful, unpredictable offensive strikes, he is much more defensive and precise in his movements. If Ken's style could be defined in three words they would be precision, speed, and restraint. Typically, Ken refuses to mount an attack until he has sufficiently observed an opponent, demonstrating a calm, unshakeable composure while masterfully responding to their onslaughts. His sword moves fluidly, naturally, and is deceptively graceful as he is capable of countering at any moment at speeds faster than the eye can perceive. He can manipulate any part of the blade with the utmost expertise, such as turning the tip at the last instant of an upwards slash to cut across an adversary’s throat, quickly readjusting his grip in order to change directions to throw an enemy off-guard, leveraging his blade against the opponent’s weapon in order to gain the advantage, etc. Since Ken learned to compensate for the loss of his right hand, his dexterity is not limited to his dominant hand, as he is equally proficient with both. Ken can also quickly adjust for distance, and while his defensive maneuvers remain close to mid-range, his mobility and sudden bursts of speed allow him to cross terrain and eliminate the gap between him and a long-ranged adversary before the latter has time to react. Despite his emphasis on forbearance and precision, Ken does not shy away from bloodshed and becomes chillingly single-minded when on the offense. All excessive or superfluous movement is stripped away, much like the purity of the blade itself, allowing him to concentrate all his strength into devastatingly precise and powerful cuts. Those on the receiving end of his attacks often find themselves unable to counter the “sword that kills,” and in the past this allowed Ken to make short work out of entire regiments of samurai before his adversaries truly grasped what was occurring. However, Ken’s offensive capabilities paled in comparison to the viciousness of his older brother, and as such his name was never as feared on the battlefield as Nakago’s. Nevertheless, this perhaps made him the more deadly adversary, as his efficiency and cleanness of attack meant that few—if any—survivors were ever left to tell of his legendary abilities, allowing him a greater degree of unpredictability when encountering new opponents. Philosophy All samurai adhere to certain distinctive principles that differentiate them from shinobi. Originally, they followed the moral code specified by Wadō (和道, lit. "Way of Peace"), the samurai’s counterpart to , which stressed values such as loyalty, nobility, and honor in battle. Following these values, the samurai were able to temper the violent practice of swordsmanship with wisdom and serenity, thus elevating kenjutsu to the level of a true art form. However, a long series of inner-clan warfare forced the samurai to adopt practices that differed from the philosophy they professed, and most styles were stripped of any spiritual element, becoming militaristic and pragmatic in the face of rising conflict. As the Matsumune had risen to power during this period of violence, they too emphasized the qualities of aggression and minimalism in combat. To them, there was only one path, and that was to cut through the heart of a target; regardless of whether doing so would result in suicide. Perhaps the ultimate expression of their single-minded determination was Sōgoshi (相互死, lit. "mutual death"), a technique which allowed the user to so perfectly mirror the stance of an opponent that, upon striking, it would result in a simultaneous fatal blow. Born and raised in this militant environment, Ken acquired a certain degree of fearless self-abandon in the face of death, and he was an originally reckless and furiously unchecked combatant. Having been taught that the sword was nothing more than an instrument to bring about the defeat of his enemies and that the moment it failed to serve him would be that of his own demise, he devoted much of his early life to gaining technical mastery in kenjutsu. As such, the fundamentals of his techniques are still largely rooted in the Matsumune style, particularly in his stances and offensive kata. However, after Ken began to be instructed by his grandfather at the age of eight, his approach largely came to reflect Seigen’s teachings, who differed significantly from the Matsumune in his philosophy regarding the way of the sword. First, Seigen was a practitioner of Wadō and had returned to the traditional principles that advocated for forging a full appreciation and personal bond with one’s sword—that is, that the sword was more than a mere weapon. Secondly, he taught that, like fire or the spirit, the sword is a living thing which can be tempered but never fully controlled. Its properties were such that, without restraint, the blade that cut an enemy could be the same that cut an ally. It was therefore necessary to show respect towards the sword both for having its own “will” and for its tremendous capacity—and indeed sole, indiscriminate purpose—to kill. Seigen believed that the only way to restrain this capacity was to achieve a state of (無為, mui, lit. "inaction"), or the “action of inaction,” which allowed for a unity of mind and a resonance of will with the blade and its purpose, thus allowing the user to communicate with the blade and redirect its fatal intent. Adding credence to his proposition, Seigen’s own level of Stillness rose to a nearly perfect state that, upon his death, it allowed him to achieve enlightenment and ascend to the where his spirit could move somewhat freely between the physical and spiritual realms. For his part, Ken seems to bridge the gap between his grandfather and the Matsumune. While he ascribes to the noble tenets of Wadō and the aspirations of his grandfather, he also recognizes the logic behind the Matsumune’s pragmatic minimalism, and as such sought to reconcile the two opposing views. For many years he struggled to attain a balance as his style continued to develop, and he oftentimes felt tossed between two extremes. Eventually, after his banishment from the Land of Iron, Ken was exposed to ninjutsu and learned that chakra could be used differently than what he had been previously taught as a samurai. This gave him new insight into a means of balance, and he at last successfully melded the two branches of swordsmanship together in order to create his own style, which he called Futugawa no Goryū (二川の合流, lit. “confluent flow of two rivers”). Unlike either the Matsumune or his grandfather, Ken came to see the sword as both an instrument of destruction and the means by which peace could be secured. Like the Matsumune, Ken realized that conflict was inevitable, but rather than trying to avoid it entirely he saw the path of the sword as a way of resolution. That is, the wielder himself is the one who determines whether or not the sword is used in order to either kill or preserve life, as it may be necessary to sacrifice one individual in order to save a multitude. The philosophy behind Futugawa no Goryū thus recognizes two purposes of the sword as opposed to one, and seeks to find harmony in discerning when to strike and when to remain still. In many ways, this perspective fits personally with Ken’s prophesied position as both a great agent of peace and a harbinger of destruction. More generally, however, the duality of the style is reflected in the Futugawa no Goryū’s unique emphasis on wielding two blades with differing lengths simultaneously. The way in which Ken utilizes his tachi in conjunction with his shorter kodachi is refined, efficient and powerful, as it allows for fluidity between timing and distancing, thereby exploiting the advantages of both blades without creating gaps or wasting movement. As each sword offers its own strengths and weaknesses, dual harmony is a necessary and inherent element of the style, reflecting its philosophical roots in the razor-edge balance between life and death. General Techniques *' ' (中段の鉄門, chūdan no tetsumon, lit. "middle iron gate"): The Iron Gate Stance is the most basic posture used in the Matsumune canon of kenjutsu. It is a mid-level stance that provides for a balance between both offensive and defensive techniques, and is assumed by placing the left foot, with the heel slightly raised, behind the right foot (or vice-versa for a left-handed stance), with both feet parallel and the hips aligned, shoulders relaxed, and spine straight. While similar to the basic chūdan stance that is used in most styles of kenjutsu, the Matsumune differ in that their feet are placed much farther apart in a state of readiness that resembles a bound lunge. This has the effect of firmly establishing the kenjutsu-ka’s center of gravity between the feet, thereby “rooting” them to the ground and aligning their center of equilibrium to a solid structure. Thus, by allowing his core to resonate with the power of the earth itself, Ken is able draw out enormous cutting power to either attack or defend against an opponent’s onslaught. The stance also enables him to remain fixed and stable regardless of the effects an opponent may impose upon the environment, as well as to withstand certain powerful, physical forces such as or . The one drawback of the Iron Gate is its rigidity, as while it is useful for singular strikes, a more fluid stance must be adopted when maneuvering or performing multiple kata. *' ' (踊刃冒, yōjinbō): While this technique appears to be a basic slash that is performed while dashing headlong towards an opponent, the Dancing Blade Risk is actually a precise, subtle feinting technique that requires the utmost skill to perform correctly. Essentially, the forward-slash distracts the adversary from the kenjutsu-ka’s true intentions, which involves a slight lag or a misstep in footwork in order to cause the adversary to incorrectly perceive the distance of the incoming attack. As Ken executes the feint, he presents an opening to his opponent in order to draw them in past the optimal . Because of the straightforward charge, the opponent assumes Ken is attacking from mid-distance, when in reality the faulted step allows him to enter chikama (close-range). Exploiting this lapse in the adversary’s awareness allows Ken to completely bypass whatever counter the opponent originally intended and thus gain the decisive advantage. When executed correctly, the opponent is unable to gauge the incoming strike and is subsequently bifurcated. However, the technique holds a notable weakness in that, for a brief moment of time during the misstep, Ken is completely exposed and unable to defend himself should the adversary decide to strike. The technique reflects this in its name, as “dancing” refers to the feinted step and “risk” to the vulnerability created in the lapse. *' ' (鷹嘴の構え, takahashi no kamae, lit. "falcon's beak stance"): The Falcon’s Beak is another basic stance associated with the Matsumune, and it is perhaps most characteristic of their aggressive, self-abandoned style. Unlike the Iron Gate stance, which provides balance and stability, the Falcon’s Beak is an intimidating posture that allows the user to strike quickly and unpredictably from above. As an upper-level stance, the Falcon’s Beak is distinct because both feet are pointed forward and the sword is raised high above the practitioner’s head, with the elbows positioned at the side. While this leaves the chest and torso completely exposed, it also allows for unquestionable versatility and momentous power. From the Falcon’s Beak position, Ken can use either both hands or a single hand to strike, and is able to extend the reach of the blade by allowing his grip to slip back along the tsuka. By remaining light on his feet, Ken can easily transition from one position to the next and cut quickly across distances. The posture is also useful for gathering strength and energy in preparation for a singularly destructive attack. Most notably, the Falcon’s Beak stance allows him to become airborne without interrupting the momentum of a strike, thereby carrying it forward in a linear, instantaneous swoop that descends without warning upon an opponent. These strikes are not limited to a vertical direction, however, as Ken has used the Falcon’s Beak when attacking from the side or even below. The stance remains at its most powerful, however, when cutting straight down to split a target in two, allowing gravity to add impetus to the falling blade. *' ' (下山の構え, gezan no kamae, lit. "descending the mountain stance"): *' ' (破断, lit. "severing destruction"): *' ' (八相形, lit. "eight phase form"): *' ' (飛燕, lit. "flying swallow"): Hien is the prototype for the , and involves augmenting the killing power of a blade by flowing chakra into its cutting edge. In the modern era, this technique was advanced to include extending the cutting edge past the end of the physical sword itself, shaping the materialized chakra into a hardened blade. Ken’s use of the technique, however, does not focus so much on manipulating the shape of the chakra but rather the property of the chakra. The most dangerous aspect of Hien is that, by vibrating the chakra that cycles through the extended edge at an incredibly high rate of speed, the rotating energy becomes sharp enough to cut through most chakra fortifications. In fact, the density of the extended chakra blade is so great that it becomes visible and is capable of interacting with physical attacks, such as elemental-based jutsu. This property is also especially useful when Ken is defending against chakra attacks, as the chakra channeled through his blade allows him to block or even cut through the otherwise “intangible” energy. However, Ken mainly uses Hien as an incredibly fast, unpredictable flash of chakra which extends past the reach of his sword. Like most other samurai, he can also channel the chakra to fire condensed crescents of energy, which hold great destructive potential. *' ' (一閃, lit. "flash"): *' ' (無心, lit. "no mind": *' ' (箙を傾けて, ebira o katamukete): Iaidō Ninjutsu Water Release: Learned in Kirigakure under Hunter-nin, but was trying to gain medical information in order to improve the puppetry of his hand. Water Senbon with medical precision along with typical swordsmanship water blades, hiding in mist, and chakra-draining mist. Mainly uses natural sources. If in the Land of Iron, temperatures there are typically so cold the water techniques become ice. Intelligence Plot Trivia *松棟 Matsumune, Ken's clan name, means "pine sword-spine," and was meant to refer to both the , a historically powerful samurai clan, and , the legendary Japanese swordsmith. **In keeping with this theme, Ken and all of his siblings have names that refer to traditional : iori, (庵), a mune that is "roof-shaped", nakago (中子), the tang, ken (剣), a straight double-edged sword or blade, and ito (糸), which refers to the tsuka-ito, or hilt wrapping. *Ken's theme song, as stated by the author, is Our Demons by The Glitch Mob. Quotes *